Dry cell container and lamp holding clip combined



Feb. 13, 1951 sH 2,541,941-

DRY CELL CONTAINER AND LAMP HOLDING CLIP COMBINED Filed April '7, 1947 Inventor Frank J. Shank Patented Feb. 13, 1951 DRY CELL CONTAINER AND LAMP HOLDING CLIP COMBINED I Frank J. Shenk, New Orleans, La. Application April 7, 1947, Serial No. 739,744

1 s This invention relates to" an accessory-type miniature novelty light, that is, a small electric bulb and current-supplying fixtures for supporting same in an operatingt position. v

Briefly, the invention comprises a pair of wire and contact-equipped fixtures for supporting a miniature light bulb, of appropriate shape,-therebetween, the bulb having receptacles at its ends constituting fittings 'for coaction with contacts on the fixtures, whereby to permit the bulb to be conveniently and detachably mounted between saidfixtures. v

:In keepin with the scope of the inventive concept, the fixtures are provided with current-conducting wires, and saidlwires are adapted to be electricallyconnected with a dry .cell battery, or, batteries, such as are used in present-day flash: lights. It follows that it is an object of the invention to provide a simple, portable assemblage including a pair of complemental fixturesconnectible with a flashlight battery or the like, said fixtures being adapted to be fixedly mounted and one fixture including a spring-pressed contact element whichexerts sufficient' pressure against the adjacent end of the bulb to hold the latter between-the fixtures when said bulb is in use.

Anotherobject of theinvention-is to provide a pair of wire-equipped current-supplying fixtures characterised bysemi-spherical contact elements, one fixed and the other being springpressed and slidable, whereby to permit the coacting bulb to be snapped in and out of place.

More specifically, another object of the invention is to provide a simple and economical smallsized bulb, for example, about an inch or so long, which is fashioned from an open-ended glass or equivalent tube, said tube having metal caps. fitted over its opposite ends and said caps having semi-spherical receptacles, for reception of the.

semi-spherical convex contact elements, on the opposite ends of the bulb.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description 1 Claim. (cram-10.6)

2 tively of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the;

arrows. V

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the parts of one of the bulb-supporting fixtures.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a battery holder and clip carried thereby which serves to support the bulb and coacting fixtures.

Figure '7 is a transverse section on line 1-1 of Figure 6, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view taken centrally through Figures 6 and 7. I

Referring now to the drawings by distinguishing reference numerals, it will be noted that there are several unitswhich go to make up the equipment. That is to say, there is a miniature lamp or bulb l and a pair of end-fixtures 8 and 9 between which the bulb is removably held in place.

The bulb comprises a glass tube It with a fila-. ment 'll therein, said filament being attached to end-closing caps 12 and I3, fitted telescopingly over the open ends of the tube. The caps have concaved end-portions I4 and l5 which constitute receptacles and which serve to receive and accommodate the semi-spherical convex contact elements l6 and I7, carried by the fixtures '8 and 9. The fixture 8 comprises a cylindrical plug of insulation or the like having aflange .18 on one.

end surrounding and retaining the contact element I6 inplace. "The latter element is joined with the anchored end portion [9 of the current supply wire 20.

The fixture to the right in the drawings, the part 9, comprises a cylindrical cup 2| having a current supply wire 22 attached thereto, which wire is, in turn, connected with a coil spring 23, in a manner to pass the current through the spring. The current is then delivered to a projectible andretractible plunger 24 comprising a disk 25, a stem 26 and the aforementioned semisphericalconvexed contact head H. The entire I plunger 24 is slidable in the cylinder and is pressed outwardly by the influence of the spring. It follows that one contact head I6 fits removably in the receptacle [4 and the other contact head IT, a source of electric light would be provided A structure of this type is also usable on furniture ornaments and in connection with novelties such as toys, where a. source of light is wanted. In all instances, the fixtures 8 and 9 are rigidly applied to the toy or other support and the bulb is inserted and removed, as desired. Of course, a switch (not shown) could be included in the circuit; or, the: current could be simplycuti01f and on by inserting the bulb when needed and removing same when not in use.

I also call attention to the fact that the bulbsmay be made of difierent shapes. to: conform. to objects with which same are to be conn-ecte'dlins. practice.

The description so far relates merely" tothe bulb and the special accommodating-i fixtures: serving as receptacles at the end-portions of the. bulb as shown in Figuressl to 5 inclusive: At'ithis' point, attention is directed to the holding means show-n in F'igures fi; Z-and 8. Although'thi's par ticular holding means is not necessarily an-essenti'a-l phase=of the-instant case, it has been-devised as a' component aspect of the disclosure. It-willi': beobserved, for example, that a cylinder'preierably of curvedform is denoted at 21 and this serves as areceptacle fora dry cell' battery 28" (see-Fig; 8), oneend wire 22- being connected tov the right hand end of the cylinder for electrical coacti-onwit-h' the adjacent end of the dry cell battery. The opposite end of'thecylinder-is providdwith a closing plug'or cap 29 having--a contacflsprihg 3fl' engagi'ng' the adjacent'end of the-dry cell; This end-portion serves toaccommodate-the remaining wire 21] frorrrthe fixtureat Thus; the wire on thefixture sis connected" at thev left" irr Figure 8 and, the remaining wire 22" at-the; right. The cylinder is provided on" one side with a1 channel-shaped sheath or clip 3 l and this is'such thatit servesasja receiver andholdcr' for' allthree" parts, that is, 7', 8 and 9: Itis' evident, therefore, that Figures" 6',- 7 and 8"ex'- emplify a ways and means whereby'the. bulb and" fixtures may be suitably: assembled and h'e'ld'ifi': operative relationship.

Minor changes in shape; size; material's" and"re arrangementof parts maybe resort'edto inactuali practiceiso' long. as no departure is: made/from the invention as claimed.

I claim:

A structure of the class shown and described comprising an elongateddry cell containing cylinder closed at one end and open at its opposite end, a dry cell fitting removably in said cylinder, a removable closure plugged into the open end of said cylinder and provided with a contact spring cooperable with the adjacent end of the dry: cell', awire connected.withzanmleading from said contact spring, a resilient open e'nded channel-shapcd clip of a length commensurate with the length of said cylinder and attached to and in;suhstantialparallellsm with one side of said cylinder, an elongated miniature bulb fitted removably in, the intermediate portion of said clip, said bulb having an internal filament, caps closmg the opposite. ends of the bulb and electrically connected-with adjacent end portions of said filament, said caps havingv concaved retention seats, a current conductingfixture havingfaninsulated body removably fitted in 'one end'portion ofjsaid. clip, said body having, a. current conductingsconp tact head; said contact head being, convex. and. removably. coacting, with the, adjacent concaved seat on the adjacent cap. of. said bulb, said, wirebeing connoctedwithsaid body-andalso .withisaidt contact, head,, a .second contact. fixture including; acylindricalcupcf. insulation. material,:saidz.cup

being, removablysfitted into: said clip, atuthe-ropypositev end, of the c1113.. a. springzpressedp plunger:

slidable in said cup, said plunger havingzzamonsvex-ed. contact head: fitting; removably. in.;.the seat provided therefor: in. theadj accnt. capxandi a deck" ond: wire afiordingelectri-cai circuit-.t'connectiom betweemthe adj acentsendiof said';dry%cel1ia-rrd1said I REFERENGES GITEDr:

The-following references are" of"'record""in the file of this patent? UNITED- STATESBA-TEN-TS;

; Number Name Date? 1,509,354 Hambuecll'en' Sept! 23?, I924 210291425 1 KaymFet al-E Fb i 4 I936 2218395 Hilllbailel C. I5,:1 940 2 2401331 Geiger et'ali" Apr: 29,: 194T" 

